to Kaliananda and Kanda on the Guru's feet

[Guest guest]

Thank you, Kalia and Kanda, for helping me understand!

 

JAI GURU,

 

Henny

 

 

, "kaliananda_saraswati"

<kaliananda_saraswati wrote:

>

> Dear Henny,

>

> Thank you for your usual insightful comments and for keeping the

discussion going.

>

> The water from the Guru's feet is purifying and is an act of

surrender (of the small self), it

> can also be taken literally and can also mean a flow of blessings,

As devotees, we bow to

> the Guru placing the highest part of ourself (crown of the head) at

the Feet Guru to receive

> the flow of blessings (shakti). There are times when puja is

performed to the Feet using

> either milk or water which is then offered as prasad.

>

> Jai Guru

>

>

> , "henny_v_i" <henny_v_i@> wrote:

> >

> > Dear sisters and all others waiting to join the discussion,

> >

> > thank you, Kalia, for joining the discussion:) Your thought of

Mother

> > Ganga, reminded me of verse 157, where we are told that 'knowers

of

> > the principles should always take the bath of the Guru Gita' in

order

> > to 'destroy the dirt of the world of objects and relationships'.

And

> > now it suddenly strikes me how much water there is in the Guru

Gita,

> > beginning with verse 12, where we are advised to 'take water upon

our

> > head', followed by all the verses concerning the 'water from the

> > Guru's feet. Interestingly enough, it also ends with water: the

ocean

> > of objects and relationships. And my thoughts were that the Guru

Gita

> > is like the pure stream, coming from the source at the mountain

top,

> > flowing down to the ocean and purifying it with its clear waters.

I am

> > a little unsure about the meaning of the water from the Guru's

feet,

> > though. Could it be taken to mean the purifying effect of

surrender?

> >

> > with love,

> > Henny

> >

> >

> > , "kaliananda_saraswati"

> > <kaliananda_saraswati@> wrote:

> > >

> > > Dear Sadu Maa and Henny,

> > >

> > > Thanks for these beautiful posts and for initiating these

> > discussions. As Henny said, the

> > > external guru (form) guides us to the inner guru (without form

vs

> > 115). In reading the

> > > posts, i had a thought of Mother Ganga who cleans us inside and

out

> > .... water to me

> > > represents the universal mirror. In the Guru Gita verses 91 and

95

> > we learn how to apply

> > > the Guru within and without, this bears the fruit of wisdom.

> > >

> > > Jai Guru

> > >

> > > , "henny_v_i" <henny_v_i@>

wrote:

> > > >

> > > > Dear Sadhu Maa,

> > > >

> > > > thank you for your thoughtful comments on these verses, I very

> > much

> > > > like what you said about the mirror. In the humble experience

I

> > > > gathered in the year that has passed since coming here, in the

> > Guru's

> > > > mirror you do get to see your own personality in a new, and

not

> > always

> > > > very becoming, light, and at the same time, a tiny glimpse or

> > shimmer

> > > > of something else. And in between, the path...

> > > >

> > > > The questions you raise about the role of the external Guru

and

> > > > initiation have also been on my mind on and off during the

past

> > year,

> > > > and I would just like to share some thoughts:

> > > >

> > > > I read in Talks with Ramana Maharshi something that I find

very

> > > > inspiring: "So also association with the wise will make the

mind

> > > > sink into the Heart. Such association is both mental and

physical.

> > The

> > > > extremely visible being (of the Guru) pushes the mind inward.

He

> > is

> > > > also in the Heart of the seeker and so he draws the latter's

> > > > inward-bent mind into the Heart". So the 'external' Guru

pushes us

> > > > inwards to where the 'internal' Guru dwells, and these two are

> > one.

> > > > To me, this makes a lot of sense. He also says, in another

part of

> > the

> > > > book, that the Guru takes on form in order to help us give up

the

> > > > attachment to form. And even though I used to think that to

seek

> > > > refuge with a guru in human form meant a restriction or a

> > narrowing

> > > > down of the Divine to a particular form and meant divinisation

of

> > a

> > > > person, I now feel that it is precisely the act of seeking

refuge

> > with

> > > > the guru in human form which allows us to realize that the

form is

> > no

> > > > restriction at all. Once we open our hearts to the guru, we

find

> > that

> > > > the guru is much more than the form, beautiful as it is. And

then

> > we

> > > > can begin to see that we are much more than our form also. I

hope

> > you

> > > > can follow what I am trying to say. Swamiji once said: "Sure,

much

> > can

> > > > be said. But how valuable is it?" and I copied that and stuck

it

> > on my

> > > > computer to prevent myself from going on a bit. It is true for

> > many

> > > > things we will have to dis-cover for ourselves. But as

> > > > fellow-travellers, it is nice to sit down and enjoy an

exchange of

> > > > thoughts along the way, even though it may be difficult to

find

> > the

> > > > right words.

> > > >

> > > > When I started reciting the GG, my first question was 'what is

the

> > > > initiation of the Guru?' and, as I had read elsewhere (perhaps

I

> > > > should stop reading all these books:)) about the necessity of

> > formal

> > > > initiation, without which all practice would be worthless etc.

> > etc., I

> > > > became a little anxious about not being initiated etc. But,

> > Swamiji

> > > > has said (in the FAQ?) that there are many levels of

initiation.

> > The

> > > > mere fact that we are in the position that we have heard of

the

> > Guru

> > > > principle, that we are here, reciting the Guru Gita to honour

the

> > > > Guru, following the instructions of the Guru and deriving

great

> > > > pleasure from that, is good enough for me now. I have found

that

> > many

> > > > questions dissolve in recitation, and that is one great reason

for

> > > > continuing to recite!

> > > >

> > > > I enjoyed talking to you,

> > > > with love,

> > > >

> > > > Henny

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > , "Sadhu Maa" <sadumaa@>

wrote:

> > > > >

> > > > > More reflections on the Guru Gita. Each verse could make a

whole

> > > > > discussion...yes?!

> > > > >

> > > > > Thank you Kalia. Verse 112 - I worship true existence,

> > consciousness

> > > > > and bliss (saccidanandam), beyond all distinctions, always

as my

> > > > > Guru. He is eternal, full, complete and perfect, beyond

> > attributes,

> > > > > without qualities. He resides in harmony with his own soul.

> > > > >

> > > > > Then in verse 113 - Meditate upon that being who is higher

than

> > the

> > > > > highest. He is the cause of eternal bliss. He resides within

the

> > > > > space of your heart and illuminates the purest clarity.

> > > > >

> > > > > Then 114 goes on to discuss the uniting of So and Ham

(nature

> > and

> > > > > consciousness)through which the individual soul is the

> > reflection of

> > > > > infinite consconsciousness.

> > > > >

> > > > > The Dalai Lama talks about how rare and special human birth

is.

> > How

> > > > > much rarer and more special then to actually have the

> > opportunity to

> > > > > meet a true and living Guru....The true Guru is our example,

our

> > > > > guide and indeed can open the door to our own true self. Yet

the

> > > > > True Guru resides within each of us also, in the space of

our

> > hearts

> > > > > and illuminates clarity....and the Guru is in our Mothers

and

> > > > > Fathers and friends and and....resides within all of

creation.

> > > > >

> > > > > What is the role of the external Guru? What is Guru

Initiation?

> > I

> > > > > think perhaps at its higher level it about holding up that

> > > > > mirror...that divine mirror so that we see our Selves...at

least

> > a

> > > > > glimpse....and we then know the goal. The path becomes

clear.

> > > > >

> > > > > I hope others want to discuss the Guru Gita. I find it so

full

> > so

> > > > > rich. Jai Satsang. Jai Maa! Jai Guru!

> > > > >

> > > >

> > >

> >

>